Understanding self-determination in coaching

This article is a reprint of a Coaching Research in Practice (February, 2022). All ReciproCoaches receive complimentary limited-time access to each new issue (10 per year). For unlimited access to more than 10 years of Coaching Research in Practice archives, purchase a membership or a subscription.

Coaching is derived from a multitude of theoretical bodies, combined together in a relatively simple (but not necessarily easy) relational process. Self-determination theory is one such theory that has been recognised as part of the theoretical framework of coaching.

This article reflects upon recent research into the applicability of self-determination theory to health coaching. While the study itself focuses on health coaching, the findings are relevant to coaching in general. The research highlights several salient aspects of self-determination theory and their influence within the coaching experience. Some suggestions are offered for increasing opportunities for self-determination within your coaching practice.

COACHING RESEARCH

In their 2020 paper “The applicability of self-determination theory to health coaching: a qualitative analysis of patient experiences”, Denneson et al. “examine the fit between core concepts of self-determination theory and patient experiences with health coaching” (p. 163).

With motivation and self-regulation at its core, self-determination theory “proposes that personally-relevant goals are more internally motivated (versus external) and are thus more likely to be obtained than goals set due to some external pressure” (p. 165). According to self-determination theory, autonomy, competence, and relatedness are basic psychological needs that in turn “facilitate internal motivation and help people integrate their behaviour into their everyday lives and their sense of self” (p. 165). Denneson et al. explain:

Briefly, autonomy refers to the sense that one’s actions are the result of their own volition, competence is the belief in one’s ability to affect change and achieve desired outcomes, and relatedness is the extent to which one feels a connection with others. Self-integration of behaviours occurs when externally-motivated behaviours (i.e. behaviours regulated by an external force) become integrated into one’s ‘sense of self’, that is, they contribute to one’s overall evaluation of the self. (p. 165)

The study involved 22 recently returning United States military veterans who undertook a Whole Health Coaching program that involved up to eight weekly 40-60 minute health coaching sessions with an experienced coach. Of the 22 participants, 18 participated in an interview after their experience and analysis of these interviews resulted in the following findings:

Participants’ experiences “were consistent with the process of motivation and goal attainment proposed by self-determination theory” (p. 167). This confirms that self-determination theory is present within the experience of coaching.
Autonomy was fostered through coachees “select[ing] goals that were important to them, creating personalised action plans, and recognising that they had control over the outcome of their plans” (p. 167) and that “the process required their own decisions, action, and solutions” (p. 168). Furthermore, the process was flexible, personalised and driven by their own experience, as they “align[ed] their behaviours with their values, or what mattered most to them, and discover[ed] which goal-attainment strategies best fit with their own lives” (p. 168).
Coachees experienced a sense of competence, which “was described as the ‘confidence‘ to tackle any challenge and was supported by positive, non-judgmental feedback” (p. 167) as well as “positive reinforcement and non-threatening accountability” (p. 169) provided by the health coach. This supported their accomplishment, and coachees were in turn motivated by their sense of accomplishment.
Coachees experienced relatedness as “a consistently strong rapport with the health coach” (p. 167). They felt valued and sensed genuine care from their coach about their progress, together with equality and respect within the relationship that felt like a collaborative team and having someone on their side. This “engender[ed] productive, ‘reflective’ conversations and made them feel supported in their work towards accomplishing goals” (p. 169).
Coachees developed a “clearer understanding of their sense of self (e.g. what they value, what matters most to them) and their sense of purpose in life fostered motivation and successful goal attainment” (p. 168).
Coachees’ behavioural changes continued beyond the sessions as they maintained goals and set and accomplished new ones after the program. “Importantly, participants reflected on how their behaviours and goals aligned with their values” (p. 170).

IN PRACTICE

Denneson et al.’s study of participant experiences reflect the basic psychological needs of self-determination theory in terms of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Therefore, given that self-determination theory proposes that goals are more likely to be obtained by such internally motivated psychological needs, it makes sense that coaches, as partners in their clients’ journeys towards goal attainment, remain aware of and intentionally foster autonomy, competence, and relatedness throughout the coaching process.

To ensure this, you could reflect upon the level of self-determination that exists within your coaching relationships. Here are some questions that might help in your self-reflection or which you might choose to take to your supervisor and/or supervision group:

Autonomy

Who is setting the goals?
Who is generating the solutions?
Who is determining the action?

Competency

How much positive feedback am I providing?
How much positive reinforcement am I giving?
How consistent is the accountability I’m supporting?

Relatedness

How well are my client and I collaborating?
How genuine is my buy-in to my client’s progress and success?
How would I rate the equality in our relationship?

Self-Integration

How is my client’s sense of self developing?
Which behavioural changes is the client experiencing?

In giving some of the above extra attention, especially in cases where you might be feeling something is missing from a coaching relationship, you may find that you can increase the level of self-determination within your coaching relationships, and thereby enhance autonomy, competence, relatedness, and, with that, goal attainment.

Reference:

Denneson, L. M., Ono, S. S., Trevino, A. Y., Kenyon, E., & Dobscha, S. K. (2020). The applicability of self-determination theory to health coaching: A qualitative analysis of patient experiences. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 13(2), 163-175. doi:10.1080/17521882.2019.1673457

Translating coaching research into coaching practice,

Kerryn Griffiths (PhD – The Process of Learning in Coaching)
Global ReciproCoach Coordinator

Not yet a member?

Already a member?